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Bookish Hobbies that Aren’t Reading: 9 ways to celebrate books
It’s cosy season! This is the time of the year when the heating comes on, blankets come out and all those hobbies that we neglected over the summer get dusted off. I’m sure that all of us here are readers, but sometimes we want to explore other bookish hobbies. Whether you want something creative to do between chapters or a relaxing activity to enjoy while listening to an audiobook, here are nine fun bookish hobbies that arenโt reading. Let us know what your hobbies are and if this blog inspires you to pick up a new one.
Meditative Bookish Hobbies
This is the time of year when stress levels tend to increase. We are all away the festive season is coming soon, plus the days are getting shorter so less Vitamin D for us. Finding a meditative bookish hobby that isn’t reading can be really great at this time of year. So whether you want something arty, wordy or physical, there is a hobby for everyone.
Coloring
Bookish coloring books are super popular at the moment. You don’t need to be an artist to create a stunning piece of art. There are people on colortok that make incredible artwork from coloring books, then there are people like me who has just felt tip pens I picked up from the bargain bin. You don’t need all the expensive gear to start coloring, just whatever you can find is great. Check out the TikTok below to see the Lilybelle coloring book.
At Bookinfluencers.com we love coloring so much, we’ve made our own coloring book. Coloring was a hobby that bookinfluencers founder Antina fell in love with, and she still relates to precious time spent with her mother in her final days. Coloring books are great to do while listening to an audiobook, plus they are fantastic for calming your mind on anxious days. If you want to pick up your own copy of our colouring book, you can find it here.
Journaling
Journaling is a bookish hobby that I have personally dabbled in for years. Some years I get really into bullet journaling and making extensive spreads tracking my books. Sometimes I use stickers to decorate book reviews. I haven’t got into the really extensive book journaling, yet, but I’m not ruling it out! The TikTok below is an incredible journal!
Journaling is a fantastic hobby when your brain feels busy, as it can be really helpful to arrange your thoughts on paper. Personally, I read a lot – upwards of 10-12 books a month – so sometimes I do need a reminder of my thoughts and feelings on a specific book, and journaling can really help with this. Again, journaling is a hobby that can be accessible to all. You can use any notebook you have lying around. Some people just write reviews, or you can decorate pages as well, there is no right or wrong. You can also do digital journaling if physically writing can be difficult.
Lego
I’m sure we’ve all seen bookish Lego sets on our socials, these range from mini bookshops to full scenes from our favourite books. While Lego is a more technical hobby, and can be expensive, it is once again a perfect hobby to do while listening to an audiobook if you need to keep your hands busy. I get major FOMO from seeing the incredible art that people create. Check out the Instagram posts below of the various types of lego kits available.
Crafty Bookish Hobbies
As the evenings get longer we tend to find ourselves with more time to spend on those crafts that take longer to complete. These crafty hobbies are fantastic as you’ll have something tangible at the end.
Yarn Craft
This is my bookish hobby of choice! I love to crochet, and my house is full of various projects. I’ve made genre blankets (tracking the genre of each book I read over a year), book sleeves, book marks, right now I have two crocheted pumpkins sat next to me. Yarn craft also includes knitting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, plus many others. I love using my hands to make something tangible, and again this is a craft I will do while listening to an audiobook, or watching TV. Once you learn the basics of any of these yarn crafts the possibilities are truly endless. Check out the TikTok below making a book sleeve.
Painting or Clay Modelling
This is a crafty hobby that may appear to require more skill or equipment, however, I disagree. I am not an artist. I can’t draw or paint, but I can color. So for me, Paint by Numbers is a version of painting that I can do to create a beautiful piece of art without needing any skill.
I love watching potters on Youtube, and seeing them create incredible artwork from clay, or slip-casting. However, I don’t have an art studio, potters wheel, kiln or any of the other equipment! But, you don’t need it! There are loads of clay kits available where you can create a model without needing anything more than your own oven.
DIY Special Editions
This is another bookish hobby that I have not yet explored myself. However, I adore watching people on social who rebind books, or paint their own sprayed edges. I think that this is something that I would love to do on my own favourite books. I am a book dragon that hoards special editions, and there are times when I wish there were special editions of books that I adore. So what better way to scratch this itch than learn book binding! The TikTok below shows an amazing rebind!
Digital Bookish Hobbies
Sometimes we don’t want to do an offline hobby. There are multiple bookish hobbies that aren’t reading that use can use other forms of technology. Here are a few below for you.
Watching TV or Film Adaptations
We’ve spoken a lot so far about bookish hobbies that are offline and use your hands. But what about hobbies that use other parts of our brains? Watching adaptations is something that a lot of us really enjoy. Yes, we all know the book will be better (with a few exceptions), but it is still always fun to watch something and compare to the original.
Bookstagram/BookTok
This is a bookish hobby that a lot of us reading this may already have. We love to talk about books, we love to take photos of books, we love to create videos featuring books. Did you know that Booktok is one of the largest “tok’s” with over 243 billion views? Clearly a lot of us like to talk and listen about books! For me, consuming Bookstagram/Booktok content is something that really helps me to expand my TBR and reading lists, plus it helps if I’m in a book slump and don’t want to actually pick up a book.
Writing Fan Fic
Fan fiction is something that a lot of us readers turn to at certain points. Fan fic is an incredible way to sink yourself deeper into the world of your favourite book. We’re also seeing a number of fics getting published today; did you know The Love Hypothesis, Alchemised and Fifty Shades of Grey all started life as fan fics?
To conclude, there are loads of bookish hobbies that aren’t reading, and here are just nine of them. Pick one hobby this week and tag us with your creations!
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